World of Wonder
by Maripics
Summary: What if Kate and Rick accepted their love? A story full of surprises. AU. Set in present, but Alexis is a lot younger. Please Review?
1. Little Girls Lost

Chapter 1: Little Girls Lost

Kate arrived at the 12th precinct in that sunny April morning. She smiled at the thought of the one she loved. The one who said that loved her back the night before. Her boyfriend. The elevator door opened and she walked out.

"Good morning." Rick said, handing her a cup of coffee.

"Hi." Kate said with a smile, leaning forward to kiss him.

"Aren't we happy this morning?" He said taking his place at her side as he saw captain Gates approaching.

"I have the feeling it won't last all that long" Kate sighed.

Ryan and Esposito came closer to Rick and Kate to hear their captain speak.

"We have a case"

Captain Gates pinned two pictures on the board, side-by-side.

"These are Angelica and Melissa Walters" Gates continued to walk around them, making everyone nervous. "They disappeared almost three days ago"

Kate looked at the two pictures. Two little girls, not older than five. One blonde, one Hispanic.

"Are they sisters?" Rick asked innocently.

"From different mothers" Captain Gates answered, impatient. "They were in custody of their father, Jason Walters, until they didn't come home from school."

"Suspects?" Esposito asked.

"For now, we only have the nanny, Fabrizia Bueno."

"I'm on it." Kate said.

As she walked to the interrogation room, she noticed Rick's stiffness.

"What's wrong?"

"Kate, they're not much older than Alexis". Rick said, as Kate caught his hand.

"Hey." She leaned closer. "We're gonna find them". Rick planted a kiss on Kate's forehead and they continued to walk.

"Here we go" Kate let go of Rick's hand to open the door to the interrogation room. They sat next to each other in the cold chairs of the room.

"Ms. Bueno, did you pick up the girls in preschool last Wednesday?"

"No". The elderly woman said, with a strong accent.

"No?" Kate asked. "Then who did?"

"I don't know" The woman added, hitting her nails in the table.

"As simple as that". Rick said. Kate placed a calming hand on Rick's knee.

"Ms. Bueno, what about their mothers?"

"What about them?" The woman said, impatiently.

"Well, where are they? You don't see all that many single dads with two kids, especially not with two different mothers." Kate offered.

"Mr. Walters is a good father" She said "He loves these girls more than their mothers ever did".

"I see, but don't they have mothers?" Rick finally spoke.

"We all have mothers Mr. Castle" She nodded "But they're not all good".

"Do they even see the girls, Ms. Bueno?"

"No. Mr. Walters won't let them"

Kate got on her feet and looked at Rick so that he would too. "Thank you for your help. We'll keep you posted".

Rick and Kate walked down the hall and back to her table. Rick bumped into a chair and let out a loud annoyed sigh. "Shit". He sat in the chair, his body loose.

"Rick, what's wrong?" Kate asked, thoughtfully.

"Alexis" Rick answered.

"Is Meredith still making it hard for you to visit?" Kate held his hand.

"She's making it impossible, Kate" Tears started appearing in Rick's eyes. "She sits there watching my every move, watching me play with Alexis, staring"

Kate felt a squeeze in her heart. How could she? How could she deny Rick his rights? She knew he didn't want a trial. He didn't want to put Alexis through it. She was just four, after all. But she also knew there was not much of his patience left.

"Hey, let's take a break. Go to grab some coffee or something. If we're lucky, they'll have something when we're back." She offered her hand to Rick and helped him get up.

"Kate, I can't do this" Rick said, already in the elevator. "I need Alexis"

"I know" she said. "What do you want to do?"

He didn't answer.

"She's pregnant, you know?" Kate looked at Rick.

"She's what?"

"Pregnant. Last time I went to see Alexis, there she was. Very pregnant. I'd say seven or eight months along."

"What?" Kate was astonished. How could she? She was the worst mother. She didn't deserve another child.

"I need to take Alexis out of there, Kate" Tears rolled down Rick's face as they walked into the coffee shop. "She's not safe"

"I know. We'll take her out of there."

"We?"

"Together."

"Always" He pulled her into a tight hug.


	2. Home is Where Rick Is

Chapter 2: Home is Where Rick Is

"Kate?" Kate slowly opened her eyes. "Morning, sleepy head" Rick said, touching her face.

"Hey". She sat on the bed and he gave her a cup of coffee. "Thanks". "What time is it?"

"Almost eight" Rick didn't look at the clock to answer. He was up already, waiting for Alexis' morning call. It didn't happen every day, but he wanted to be ready.

"Did she call?" Kate asked.

"No." He answered, sad.

The phone rang and they both jumped. Rick went towards it and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Castle?"

"Esposito?" Rick asked, disappointed.

"Yo, let me talk to Beckett" Rick passed her the phone. "Hey yo Beckett, why didn't you answer your cell?" Esposito sounded annoyed.

"I didn't hear it. Sorry" Kate picked up her phone and saw sixteen missed calls. "What is it?" She jumped out of the bed.

"We've got some new leads on the Walters case."

"I'm on my way" Kate quickly got dressed and stormed out of her room. "Castle?" Rick walked inside the living room.

"What?"

"You coming?" Kate asked.

"No. Mother used my apartment to throw a party and I want to take care of the damages. I'll stop by at the precinct later, is that okay?"

"Sure." She held the door so that Rick could leave, too. "You know, you should have a key." She said, pushing the elevator button. "I might not always be here when you want to come."

Rick looked at Kate. "We can talk about that later. I want to take you to dinner."

"Hmmm" she said. "Sounds good". She kissed his cheek. "Bye!" Kate walked outside, and into her car.

The traffic was hectic. Kate turned on the radio, and was happy to hear their song playing.

"… But did I say that I need you? Did I say that I want you? What if I didn't, I'm a fool, too, and no one knows this more than me…"

Kate's mind went back to the day she met Rick.

"_Passengers on the flight 1433 to Los Angeles, this is your last call before takeoff. Gate 11. "Kate directed herself to gate 11 and handed the attendant her ticket. _

"_Thank you Miss, have a nice trip."_

"_Thanks." Kate walked inside the plane and took her seat. "Great", she thought. The seat next to her was empty. _

"_Excuse me, excuse me" A tall guy with way too much luggage was making his way through the plane. "Hi." He said, looking at Kate. _

"_Hey." She couldn't help but noticing how handsome he was. He had piercing blue eyes and dark hair, and looked exactly like her favorite writer._

"_I'm Richard" he said, and extended her a hand. _

"_Kate." She answered. _

"_So, you live in LA?" he asked casually. _

"_No, here in New York." _

"_Business or pleasure?" he asked_

"_What?" she replied, confused. _

"_LA. Business or pleasure?" _

"_Oh. Business" _

"_What kind of business?" _

"_I'm a cop" _

_His eyes widened. "Really?"_

"_Yes" Kate was surprised with such fascination. "And you?" _

"_I'm off for business, too." _

"_And what do you do?" _

"_Let's just say I enjoy making up stories."_

"_So, you're a scammer." _

"_Writer, actually. Richard Castle."_

_She gasped. _

"_THE Richard Castle?" _

"_Indeed." He said, with a pinch of pride in his eyes. _

"_I've read all of your books" Kate thought that sounded more fan-girl like than she wanted to. _

"_Oh. You're a fan?" _

"_I guess you can call me that" _

"_How fun. I have a fan girl who is also a cop."_

"_I'm no fan girl, you childish boy." She said looking at him. _

_The trip continued smoothly, and they both felt the connection. Rick Castle was amazed by not only her beauty, but also her mind. As the end of the plane ride approached, Rick finally got the guts to ask for her number. _

"_So, Det. Beckett, you think I could have your number?" _

"_Oh, my, Mr. Castle, I thought you'd never ask." _

"I can't believe it's been a year." Kate parked her car outside the precinct and went in.

"Ryan, Espo, what do we got?" She asked.

"Angelica's mother, Paula Grammer, is also missing. We got the other little girl's mother, Dana Stewart to come down here." Ryan said.

"And?"

"Dana knows nothing. She hadn't seen Melissa in over a year, and showed no interest in doing so. She doesn't even know what could have attracted her daughter, 'cause she doesn't know her at all" Ryan seemed disappointed.

"And the father?" Kate needed more.

"Jason Walters. Was in a business trip to Croatia when his daughters went missing. He's waiting for you in the interrogation room."

"Thanks" Kate pulled the file out of Ryan's hand.

Kate went inside the IR 3 and saw the man texting.

"Mr. Walters. I'm det. Kate Beckett, and we're investigating your daughters' disappearance."

"Yes. It was my ex, Paula. She's mentally challenged" he said politely

"How so?" Kate asked

"She tried to kidnap Angie before. She can't get visitation 'cause she's a druggie."

"I see. But why would she take Melissa, too?" Kate wrote furiously on her notepad.

"The girls are very close. Paula knew that. Angie would never stop crying if Mel wasn't there." The man added. He looked so fragile.

"Mr. Walters, how often do you leave your girls under Ms. Bueno's full care?"

"Once every other month. Maybe a little more if business go well."

"And you never had any problems?"

"Det. Beckett, I've been a single dad since Mel was three months old and Angie was a year old. Since then, Fabrizia is the only person I've ever trusted with my girls. She would never hurt them. Det. You have to find them."

"I will. Thank you for your help."

Kate went down the hall and saw Rick standing there with her everyday cup of coffee.

"Hey". She kissed him tenderly.

"Hey, yourself" he handed her the cup of coffee. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Kate grabbed her coat "Bye Guys!"

They arrived at the restaurant shortly after.

"Sir. Madam." The waiter led them to their table.

"Thanks." Kate looked at Rick "You should've told me it would be this fancy." She fingered her hair.

"Well, I didn't, and you're still the most beautiful woman in this place."

"No one can say you're not a charmer" Kate held Rick's hand from over the table.

"Kate, I need to ask you something." Rick said, with a worried tone in his voice.

"Shoot".

"I want you to move in with me."

"Whoa. Yes, of course I'll move in!"

Rick leaned over the table and gave her a passionate kiss.


	3. For Hell Hath no Fury

Chapter 3: For Hell Hath No Fury (As a Man Without his Daughter)

"Rick?" Kate caressed his back "Rick, baby, wake up."

"What?" Rick rubbed his eyes "I'm up".

Kate handed him the phone "It's Alexis".

"Hey, sweetie." Rick was suddenly awake "What's wrong, bunny?" Rick's heart quickened "I miss you too, sugar" Rick leaned on the head of the bed "Yes, I promise we'll see each other soon." Rick felt a squeeze in his chest "I love you too, Lex. Bye."

"What's up?" Kate asked.

"Alexis. She's not okay, Kate. She feels alone." Rick sat on the kitchen stool, facing Kate.

"I know. It makes me sick, too" She offered.

"I don't know what to do. I can't leave her there, but I can't take Meredith to court without hurting her." He said, with tears in his eyes.

Kate's entire body was aching. It was the pain of hate. She hated Meredith with every bone in her body.

"Shhh" Kate held Rick's head to her chest as he cried. "We'll find a way".

….

"Rick?" Kate left her coat and keys on the little table next to her front door. "Rick?" She saw a note and picked it up.

"_Kate, I went to talk to Meredith. Call you later." _

"Great" She thought. She wanted to give him privacy, she really did. But she needed to make sure he wasn't going to do anything stupid. She picked up her cellphone and dialed Rick.

"Hey." He said.

"Rick, where are you?"

"Visiting Alexis. I left a note."

"What do you mean? Is Meredith okay with you visiting Alexis?" Kate asked.

"She's not here. She's in a doctor's appointment in Sacramento."

"She's out of town? And who's there with Alexis?"

"Her nanny. And me."

"Rick, that's not right. You can't do it behind Meredith's back."

"Kate, as long as she's this difficult, that's the only way. I don't have a choice."

"Just don't do anything stupid."

"I won't." Kate heard a noise. "Gotta go. Love you!"

"Yeah, me too." Kate threw the phone on the couch.

….

_Ding Dong _

"Coming!" Kate shouted

_Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong _

"Just a second!" she added "Geez" she turned the key inside the small red hole on Rick's front door. Their front door.

"Hey, Kate!" A tiny redhead wrapped her arms around Kate's legs.

"Hey, Lex!" Kate bent down to give the little girl a hug. "Where's your dad?" Kate asked, confused.

"He's coming. He's talking to the neighbor." Alexis had already taken off her shoes and thrown her backpack in the couch.

"Oh. I see" Kate's mind was racing. Towards Alexis, back to the front door, and then Alexis again. God, she grew up so fast. Her small locks of red hair were not so small anymore, and her tiny body was now fuller. She was beautiful. The most beautiful child Kate had ever seen.

"Hey, Kate." Rick said, walking inside the apartment.

"Explain" She crossed her arms and looked at him with her 'bad cop' look.

"She was so lonely. I had to take her out of there. Meredith can't just…" Rick whined

"Wait." She walked around Rick "Does Meredith know she's here?" Kate questioned.

"Not entirely." Rack tried.

"You kidnapped your own daughter?" Kate said, as she closed the kitchen's door to prevent Alexis from hearing their talk.

"She's mine, too" He defended himself.

"Rick!" she shouted "Are you insane?" she placed both her hands on her face "I told you not to do anything stupid!"

"Hey! I'm trying to be with my daughter, how's that stupid?" He screamed, furious. Kate had never seen him so mad. And it was her own fault.

"That's not how things work!" She stumped her left foot on the ground "How come Meredith didn't notice Alexis is not there?" Kate never thought she was caring, but not noticing her three year old was missing? That was too much, even for her.

"She's not home yet. I told the nanny she cleared." Rick had tears in his eyes "You see how happy she is, Kate? She could be happy here. We could be happy together. All three of us" he walked over next to Kate and wrapped his arm around her waist. "We could be a family." He caressed her hand.

"Not this way Rick, we can't." she started typing in the computer on the kitchen counter "Here. There's a plane leaving for LA in a couple of hours." Her eyes found his weary baby blues. "You can take her back before Meredith even notices she's gone."

"Kate…." Tears rolled down Rick's pale cheeks. "I can't".

Kate reached for his hands. "You have to. If you really want to be with Alexis, we have to do this right. We have to fight for her in court, consequences be damned."

"Can we do this?" he asked, looking for reassurance. He was so fragile, yet so strong. He was the man every woman always dreamed of.

"Yes. I'll call the lawyer right away." Kate squeezed his hand "We'll have her, no matter what. But right now, you have to take her back." Kate touched his wet face "Go. We'll be together again soon."

Rick opened the door and went inside the living room. Alexis was bouncing up and down on the burgundy couch.

"Pumpkin, we gotta go." Rick grabbed her shoes and bag.

"What? Already?" she pouted. "I don't want to!"

"I know, sunshine. But we have to."

"Why?"

"You have to be with your mom, baby girl" Kate jumped in.

"But I don't want to!" Alexis was almost crying.

"Neither do we, kitten. But we have to go, this way we can see each other again soon" Kate said.

Rick grabbed Alexis by the hand and stormed out of the door without further talk. "Crap" Kate said while drying her tears.


	4. Gone, Daddy, Gone

Author's Note: I got the idea for this chapter after reading Violet Hill's 'Separation Anxiety'. I love that story, and I love the time-by-time storytelling on a particular chapter. Review, Please?

Chapter 4: Gone, Daddy, Gone

8:45 PM

"Mr. Castle." The lawyer, Anna Banks, said "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Rick yelled "You just told me there's no way I can have my daughter!" He continued.

"No, I told you it'll be hard." She said, calmly "Even if I had told you so, it wouldn't be my fault." The blonde woman sat on the leather chair facing Rick and Kate.

"But there's a chance?" Kate asked.

"There's always a chance, Det. Beckett." Anna answered "What I can't give you is a promise." She added.

"We'll go for it." Rick said, finally calmer.

"I'll get the papers in order."

1:26 PM

"How's Castle dealing with the case?" Lanie asked casually.

"I think he's going to break down, Lanie" Kate answered, with a worried tone in her voice "The lawyer doesn't think he can win."

"Why so?" Lanie questioned.

"She says they're going to claim that if he wanted to be close to Alexis, he'd move to LA."

"What?"

"Yes. And she doesn't think the fact that Rick is dragging a very pregnant Meredith to court will help."

"God,I hate her" Lanie stumped her fork in a piece of lettuce.

"You and me both." Kate finished.

5:58 PM

"Rick, how come Meredith has sole custody of Alexis?" Kate asked, sitting next to Rick in their home couch.

"She doesn't" He said "we have joint custody. I get to pick Alexis up every other weekend."

"I didn't know that" Kate said "I thought you only picked her up when Meredith said so."

"I do. She ended up making everything harder." Tears started streaming down Rick's face "I… It's been two years, Kate. Two years since Meredith started pulling Alexis away from me." Their eyes met "I can't do this anymore" Kate hugged him closer and let him cry in her shirt

"You won't have to. We'll get her back." She said.

7:19 PM

Kate answered the phone with an unwanted bed voice

"Hello?" She said, brushing her hair of her face

"Kate?" A tiny, low voice said from the other side of the phone.

"Alexis?"

"Yes. Is my daddy there?" She said, even lower

"I'll get him." Kate walked to the couch and gave Rick the phone "Rick. It's Alexis."

"Lexi? Hi, pumpkin." He said, dizzy with sleep.

"Daddy? Mommy wants to talk."

"Hello, Meredith." His voice went from calm and cozy to raspy and mature.

"Good night, Richard."

"What is it that you want?" He asked coolly.

"I want to know why you're dragging me to court." She said.

"I want to be with Alexis. Not when you want to, but whenever I want to."

"Oh, my dearest. There is no need for judges and formalities."

"What do you mean, Meredith?" He asked between his teeth.

"I'll be in New York by tomorrow. Meet me at one pm and we'll discuss our arrangements."

"Meredith…" Rick heard a click.

"What was that?" Kate sat on his lap.

"I think Meredith is willing to settle on an agreement for Alexis' custody." Rick's face was a mix of happy, worried and guilty.

"Seriously?" Kate asked, her eyes wide.

"I don't know. She wants to meet me for lunch tomorrow."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I think I better do this on my own." Rick's cellphone beeped at the same time he said the last word "She wants to see me at one, at Les Champs."

"That sounds like Meredith."

"We'll get her, Kate." Rick kissed Kate's forehead.

"You deserve it."

1:34 PM

"You're late, Meredith." Rick said, sounding a lot angrier than he wanted to.

"Hello to you too, Rick" Meredith was stunning. Her long red hair matched her silky green maternity dress and any woman would be lucky to look half as good as she did at eight months pregnant.

"Hello."

"What are you offering, Ricky?" She asked as a waiter place an iced tea on the table "Thank you."

"What do you mean?" Rick was confused. Was she asking what he thought she was asking?

"Well, you don't think I'll simply give you Alexis, right?" She took a sip of her drink "I mean, this is business. You want your daughter, I want your money. It's a win-win."

"You want me to buy Alexis?" Rick had never been so offended. Meredith was seriously selling their daughter?

"So? Are you doing it?" She asked.

"Let me think about it." He got on his feet "You should be ashamed."

"Yadda, Yadda, Yadda."

4:17 PM

"What?" Anna yelled "She wants you to pay for Alexis?"

"Yes." Rick said

"And are you thinking about doing so?" Anna asked, while making herself a cup of coffee.

"I don't know." Rick was ashamed of even saying such a thing. "If it's the only way I can have her, I might as well do it."

Author's Note: Like? Dislike? Love? Hate? Please, leave a review. It means more than you think!


	5. Just Breathe

**Author's Note: I can't really find out how to leave a proper AN, so I'm doing it this way. Two updates in two days! I'm pretty proud of myself. **

Chapter 5: Just Breathe

"Rick, this is ridiculous." Kate said, annoyed "You can't really be thinking about paying for Alexis' custody."

"Kate, I don't think there's another way." He replied. They were sitting in the 12th precinct looking at the board. The missing little girls were still that, missing, and the case was affecting everyone in the precinct. "I don't have a choice." He continued.

"We always have a choice, Rick." Kate answered. They continued to look into each other's eyes with voracity. It was the biggest thing they'd faced during their relationship, and they certainly weren't ready for this.

"Yo, Beckett." Esposito said, walking inside the room where Kate and Rick were sitting. Bad timing was his deal, but this was a lot, even for him.

"Yeah." She said.

"We got a lead on the Walters' girls." Kate's eyes widened as she looked at Esposito for more information "A witness saw a woman, matching Paula Grammer's description, rushing inside a grocery store." Esposito continued.

"Where?" Kate asked

"Lower East Side. We're going right now." Esposito said.

"Okay" She grabbed her coat and keys "Castle, you coming?"

"Yeah. Right behind you." He answered.

…

"Espo!" Kate yelled "Castle!" She tried again "Ryan!"

A small groan came from under a pile of dirty blankets.

"Who's there?" Kate asked.

"Please, help us." Came a low, muffed voice from the same location. Kate rushed to the pile of blankets and found two little girls.

"Melissa?" She asked.

"No, it's Angie. Mel is my little sister." The little girl answered.

"Are you two okay, sweetie?"

"No. Mommy brought us here. She didn't let us call daddy or anyone." The little girl said, with a whiny voice. "We're hungry." The other little girl didn't say a word.

"Hey." Kate said to the younger girl "You okay?" Kate knew the answer to that question. She didn't bother waiting for a reply, and grabbed the younger girl with one arm, offering the other so that Angelica could grab her hand "Come on, let's get out of here."

…

"Case closed." Capt. Gates said to the large group of people gathered outside her office "Great work, everyone" The entire group clapped. Cases with young children always got to them. Even with time, it didn't get any easier. And this case, it had so much to do with Rick and Alexis', Kate could see the tension in his body.

"It's over, Kate." Rick wrapped his arms around Kate's waist. He knew her so well, she didn't even have to say that case was making her crazy. "They're fine."

"I know." She turned around to look at him "We have to meet Anna, don't we?"

"Yeah." Rick was tired, but that wasn't something he was willing to postpone. "You don't have to go." She too, was tired. They all were.

"Hey." She caught his face in her hands "I told you, we are doing this together."

"Okay." He said, releasing himself from her. "We should go, then."

"Come on." They walked hand-in-hand towards the door. They didn't show affection publicly often, but the need for it was implied.

…

"Anna, I'm paying her." Rick said, as soon as he and Kate entered Anna Banks' office.

Anna laughed "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am." He insisted.

"Rick, hear her out." Kate said.

"You two may sit." Anna pointed at the leather chairs on the other side of her desk, and they both took their seats. "You're not paying Meredith."

"Why not?" Rick asked.

"Well, it's illegal." Kate answered.

"Yes." Anna said. "But that's not why." She took a sip of the scotch lying on her table. "You won't have to."

"What?" Rick questioned.

"As Det. Beckett said, offering money over a child is a felony." Kate looked at Rick with the 'I said so' look that she loved to use. "And asking for money is, too."

"I see where you're heading." Kate said "But we don't have proof that she asked Rick for money over Alexis."

"In a matter of fact, we do." Anna pulled a DVD out of her desk drawer. "Les Champs' cameras record sound." She tossed the DVD on the desk "We have the proposal in video. She stands no chance in trial."

"Are you serious?" Rick asked.

"I wouldn't joke with such a thing, Richard." She replied.

"Thank you, Anna." He said, his eyes teary. "You have no idea of how much this means."

"I really do." Anna said. "It was a pleasure."

"Thank you." Kate offered her a hand.

"You're welcome, Det. Beckett."

Rick and Kate walked outside Anna's office with smiles on their faces

"We got it, Kate." Rick said, pulling Kate closer.

"I always knew we would." She said, leaning over for a kiss.


	6. The Future is Ours

Chapter 6: The Future is Ours

Rick and Kate arrived at the courtroom early on that Wednesday morning. Rick was nervous. Unsurprisingly nervous, that is. Kate was not in the brighter of moods either, but she did a better job hiding it. On that day, a judge would decide not only Alexis' fate, but their fate. As people, as a couple, and most importantly, as a family. Their fingers were laced together, as if they were trying to reassure one another. Kate turned her body to face Rick.

"Rick?" she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"We're going to get her." Kate kissed his cheek "Today." She finished.

"And forever." He added, with a shy smile.

"Forever." She completed.

"Hello." Anna Banks appeared behind them, causing Kate to jump.

"Hi." They answered.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." Anna told them.

Rick sighed and squeezed Kate's hand "Shoot."

"We got Judge Rivers"

"Oh no." Kate let go of Rick's hand "Oh no." she repeated.

"Yes." Anna emphasized

"Can someone fill me in?" Rick requested.

"Judge Rivers is an extremist." Kate clarified.

"Towards?"

"Women." Anna said.

"Oh no."

"We're not going to win." Kate sounded miserable, if not completely devastated.

"Calm down." Anna put a reassuring hand on Kate's shoulder. "There's always a chance."

"Anna!" Rick raised his voice to an extremely high pitch.

"Rick, be calm." Kate touched his arm "Making a scene won't help."

"We should go in. The trial is about to start."

"We'll be right there." Kate told Anna. "Come on, Rick. We can't just give up."

They walked fast inside the courtroom. Their minds were racing just as fast as their hearts. That was their future, their everything.

"Rise." A Latino man said from the stand, causing everyone present to stand.

"You may sit." Judge Harriett Rivers said. She quickly read a sheet of paper and proceeded to read it out loud. "Case number 238759, Castle versus Castle, custody. Ms. Banks, what is your client asking for?"

"Mr. Castle wants sole custody of the child." Anna answered.

"Ok." Judge Rivers was almost laughing "Mr. Loo?"

"My client has no objections." Forney Loo answered.

"What?" Judge Rivers yelled. Rick and Kate's eyes met, with a mist of fear and joy.

"My client is willing to give Mr. Castle full custody of the child."

"Fine. I grant full custody of the child, Alexis Harper Castle to her father, Richard Edgar Castle, affected immediately." Judge Rivers ended the trial.

"We got it?" Rick asked, to no one specifically.

"We did." Anna told him.

"We got her, Kate. We got her!" Rick brought Kate closer and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Ok, calm down, lovebirds. This is a courtroom, after all." Anna hissed.

"Daddy!" Alexis ran to them, not caring about her mother trying to say goodbye at the other side of the room "Kate!" she hugged Kate's leg.

"Hello, Lex!" Kate held her up "Ready to go home?"

"Yes, yes." Alexis answered, her head on Kate's chest. "But can we get ice-cream first?"

"Of course we can pumpkin. Any flavor you want." Rick told her, caressing her red locks.

"Bubblegum!" Alexis shouted.

"Bubblegum it is." Rick answered, while grabbing her backpack. They were a family now. A real one. And nothing, nobody, would ever take that away from them.

**Author's Note: First of all, I'm sorry about the lack of updates recently. Inspiration has been rare, classes, still strong. I'm not digging this chapter, so I might re-write it later. Would you please leave a review? **


	7. Life as We Know It

Chapter 7: Life as We Know It

"Kate?" said a whiny voice in the dark "Kate?" the little voice tried again

"Hmm" Kate murmured.

"Kate, I need help."

"Lex?" Kate was suddenly very awake. She turned the lamp on the nightstand on and sat on the bed, facing Alexis. The little girl had humid cheeks, probably from crying, and was clutching a brown teddy bear as if it was a lifeline. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I had a nittymay." Alexis whined onto Kate's pajama top.

"Oh, sweetie." Kate held her close to her heart "It's alright now. You're okay."

"Big monsters." Alexis explained. "Hairy, and purple…" she started crying again "And they wanted to take me back to mommy."

"Oh, Lex…" Kate hugged her even tighter "That will never happen, baby. You'll be with us forever, ok?"

"Promise?" the little girl asked, still shocked.

"Pinky promise." Kate offered her the finger, suddenly realizing that Rick was still sleeping right next to them. "Hey, Lex? How about we go get some hot cocoa and then go back to bed?"

"Will you sleep with me?" Alexis asked her.

"Of course, baby." Kate brushed her fingers through the little girl's red hair. "Whatever you want."

…

Rick woke up the next morning only to find out that Kate was not by his side.

"Kate?" he asked "Kate?" he said, louder "Kate!" he yelled.

"What?" Kate poked her head inside the bedroom "Would you stop yelling? Alexis is still sleeping."

"Oh, sorry. You weren't in bed so I…"

"Alexis had a nightmare. I went to sleep upstairs with her." Kate walked inside the room, her body almost touching Rick's.

"How dandy of you." He mocked, while wrapping his arms around her waist. "Is she okay now?" he kissed her neck.

"Mmmm." Kate pulled his arms off her waist "She's fine, and should be up soon."

"Aw, no fun for me." Rick pouted.

"Maybe later, big guy." Kate patted his back "We should get a smaller bed, by the way." Kate led the way to the kitchen, and sat on the bar bench. "The one in the guest room is way too big for her."

"Okay. I can get one later." Rick started making the pancake batter.

"Huh. I promised her I'd take her to choose her own bed, though, so I'll take her." Kate answered shyly.

"You did?" Rick was astonished. He knew Kate was willing to be there for them, but not like this. Not that involved.

"I kind of told her she could get some other things so that the room would be a little more 'hers' too."

"Ok. So, take my card." Rick started mixing the batter.

"No, it's alright. I want to give her those things."

"You don't have to." Rick set the bowl on the counter. "You can take it, there's no big deal."

"Rick, it's fine. I don't want it." Kate lowered her voice as soon as she realized she was yelling.

"Ok. Sorry I even offered."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell." She apologized.

"Fine. No biggie." He started mixing the batter again.

"Daddy? Kate?" Alexis ran down the stairs, almost tumbling.

"Calm down, Lex." Kate chuckled.

"Hey, pumpkin! Want pancakes?" Rick asked the little girl.

"Yes." Alexis got closer to Kate, waiting for her to pick her up.

"Here we go!" Kate brought Alexis to her lap, causing the girl to giggle.

"Daddy, can I get mine with strawberries?"

"Of course." Rick took a case of strawberries out of the fridge. "And you Kate?"

"Cherries." She smiled at him. "I love cherries."

**Author's Note: It's a holiday here where I live so we'll have more updates for the next week. I hope you're enjoying it! If you are, leave a review. If you aren't do it too, just to let me know I suck. **


	8. HeartShaped Box

Chapter 8: Heart-Shaped Box

"Come on, Lex! Let's go!" Kate yelled from the kitchen.

"Sure you don't want me to go with you?" Rick asked, taking the empty coffee mug from her hand.

"Positive. You stay and write, I'll go out with Alexis to get groceries." She answered.

"Okay. I'll do as you say. Specially…" Rick leaned over to whisper in her ear ""Cause you look so sexy being all motherly."

Alexis came in the kitchen before Kate had the chance to say anything. "I'm ready to go." Alexis said, loose pigtails bobbing up and down.

"Okay, sweetie. I'm just going to…" Kate fixed her pigtails quickly "All done. Let's go."

"Bye, daddy!" Alexis waved to Rick and headed for the door.

"Bye, pumpkin!" He wrapped his arms around Kate, kissing her softly "And bye, Kate."

"Bye." Kate walked after Alexis, grabbing her keys on her way out.

…

"Lex, get a package of apples, please?" Kate said, pushing the heavy shopping cart. She loved Rick's cooking, but his grocery list was insane. There were things she never even heard of. Like Loquat. Apparently, that's a fruit. A tasty one, too.

"Reddie or green?" Alexis asked, running towards the enormous apple stand in the middle of Whole Foods. "Both?"

"No, just red." Kate pushed the cart near the apple stand, allowing Alexis to place a package of bright red apples inside it. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"Okay." Alexis walked on Kate's side as they strolled through the pastries aisle, occasionally running around or jumping "Can we get Pop Tarts?" Alexis asked, bright blue eyes staring at Kate.

"Yes, but a small pack, ok? What flavor do you want?

"Strawberry sundae. It's yummy." Alexis answered, while trying to grab a box from a high shelf. "I can't reach it!" Alexis said.

"There you go." A middle-aged woman placed the box of Pop Tarts in Alexis' hand.

"What do you say Lex?" Kate asked.

"Thank you!" Alexis turned around to place the pastries in the cart.

"Your daughter is adorable." The woman said to Kate.

"Oh, she's not…" Kate looked at her left and saw a cheery Alexis looking at the other Pop Tarts. Taking a deep breath, she said "Thank you." The middle-aged woman walked away with a smile on her face. That was something Kate was definitely not ready for.

"Come on, Lex. We're almost done."

"'Kay."

…

Rick finished unloading the groceries out of Kate's car long after the girls had been upstairs. He placed the last few bags on the kitchen counter.

"Castle, we need to talk." Kate got up from the couch and faced Rick from the other side of the room.

"I have the feeling I won't like this." Rick crossed his arms and sat on the couch "Say it."

"A woman thought was Alexis' mother today." Kate sat next to him. She slowly pulled her knees to her chest.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Kate said. "I…" she fingered her hair, as she did every time she was nervous "I didn't tell her I wasn't."

"Why?" Rick looked deeply inside her eyes.

"I didn't feel the need to. Alexis has been with us for little time but…" tears started planting on Kate's eyes "And I know I'm not her mom."  
"Hey." Rick grabbed her hand "She loves you too." Rick assured her, even though she didn't say a thing about that. "We can talk to her about that, if you want." He squeezed her hand "About the 'mom' thing, I mean."

"I think we have to." She told him, voice raspy with fear.


End file.
